


Five More Minutes

by allerask



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Chuck Shurley is God, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Love Confessions, M/M, Season/Series 15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:47:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29084859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allerask/pseuds/allerask
Summary: Castiel's love confession lands with the weight of twelve years. Before Castiel is taken by The Empty, a shell-shocked Dean has something to say.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Five More Minutes

“Why does this sound like a goodbye?” asked Dean, tears welling in his eyes. Cas’ face, still beaming with love, fell slightly at the realization that his attempt to summon the Empty would be successful.  
“That’s because it is.”  
The pounding at the armoury door had ceased, signalling that Billy had broken through the sigil Cas put on the door. Everything happened in one fluid motion: an ‘I love you’, Cas’ still bloody hand on Dean’s left arm, Dean’s tears breaking free of his waterline, the rhythm of Billy’s scythe hitting the floor as she entered the room behind them. Next thing Dean knew he was on the floor against the wall as a black portal opened up opposite Cas. He wanted to scream and fight but his body wouldn’t move and his vocal cords remained still.  
Cas looked over at him and smiled. Time slowed and every moment Dean spent with the angel went through his brain in an instant, as though Dean himself were the one about to die. The good times, the bad times; all the times they lost each other along the way, but always coming back together, in the end. It was in perfect clear detail and it all led right to this moment; no, to a few moments before, when Cas told him that he wasn’t a killer, that Cas saw the real him and better yet, that everyone he knew did as well. But right now Dean didn’t care about anyone else.  
That’s it! thought Dean. He shot to his feet and ran between the growing black portal and Cas. He braced for impact, facing Cas.  
“Dean, what are you doing?” Cas began to move forward but Dean winked at him, miming for him to stay put.

*

As time slowed and the empty circle in front of him grew, Cas thought about all the times he and Dean almost got here; the times of “I need you”s and “I love you... all”s. He looked over at Dean, who he had pushed out of the way of the oncoming cosmic storm; the storm that would take Castiel away forever. He saw the pain in Dean’s eyes, but smiled at him as if to say “I know”. Of course, Castiel knew that Dean loved him too, in the exact same way. After all, he heard Dean say it in the forest of Purgatory.  
Good old Purgatory. That’s where they could always be honest with one another. In the liminal space between heaven, hell and earth: the in-between. What Dean didn’t know is that Cas also heard his confessional and Dean’s desire to explore feelings he had never had before. Cas had blushed upon hearing this, hoping it was him these feelings would be attributed to. Although, he remained realistic. Dean wasn’t about shouting things from the rooftops. His love was always more subtle, a trait that Cas tried to replicate but often failed. A mixtape, a look, a hand on the shoulder.  
Many of the movies that Dean made him watch often had big romantic gestures in them. They used to puzzle Cas in their convolutedness - You could have said that sooner, he would think. Then, that is, he would look over to Dean and his pupils would dilate, his furrowed brow relaxing. If the Winchesters taught him anything it’s that things don’t come easy. Hell, they’ve saved the world so many times, you’d think it would be a cakewalk at this point. Instead, it seems to get harder with each turn.  
Cas turned back to the growing black void, content with his decision and the knowledge - the complete certainty he felt - that the Winchesters would save this blue spec and its flawed inhabitants from his capricious father. He finally felt what he assumed all those people who made big gestures felt: relief. Whatever happened next was inconsequential. After all, happiness is in just saying it, isn’t it? And at this moment a flicker of doubt entered Cas' mind of what could have been and just as he was about to push it away yet again, Dean was suddenly between him and the Empty. Cas’ eyes bulged as he instinctively stepped forward, stopping as Dean raised his hand.

*

“Dean! What are you doing?” Dean smiled. Cas looked on in horror as the empty began to seep out of the black hole in large amorphous tendrils.  
“We’re not done here,” said Dean, his words firmer than he expected. Suddenly time stood completely still, not slowing like before, but actually stopped. The empty stayed mid-ascension and Billy mid-step. Everything was frozen apart from Dean and Cas. Dean looked from side to side with his right eyebrow cocked.  
They walked toward each other. Dean grabbed Cas’ right hand with his own, their thumbs locked, his left hand on Cas’ right shoulder.  
“I can’t believe that worked,” said Dean exhaling with a light smile, “I reckon we got five more minutes before whatever this is wears off.”  
“How did you know this would happen?”  
“I don’t know Cas, I could just feel it... I realized we’re still playing Chuck’s game.”  
“Well of course we are Dean.”  
“No, I mean I really realized.” Dean closed his eyes and shook his head - dusting the cobwebs. Cas had that puzzled look he used to get all the time when Dean would talk with him, back when they first met.  
“Like, why have I been so angry lately? Angrier than I’ve been in years. Blinded by it. And Jack, why was I so ready to offer him up to this destiny crap?” Cas softened: it was something he had been thinking for a while, but didn’t know how to raise the issue.  
“Not very Team Free Will 2.0.”  
“Exactly!” said Dean, unintentionally dropping Cas’ hand to gesticulate wildly only to put his hands into his pockets, “and all the things I wanted to say to you while you were telling me everything, but it’s like I couldn’t. Like I physically couldn’t do it. No matter how much I wanted to... Chuck wanted me to stay on the ground, I could feel more than gravity pressing, but I pushed through, because. Because…” Dean’s voice trailed off, his eyes searching Cas’. Until, finally he stepped forward, cradled Cas’ face with both hands and pressed his lips against Cas’. Cas leaned into Dean, grabbing the back of his head. Twelve years of neither willing to fully admit what they wanted, in the early days, not even to themselves.  
Their foreheads touched as they came up for air, both smiling with closed eyes.  
“Leave it to you to make the first move,” said Cas.  
“Hey, you stole my line.” Dean smirked before kissing him again, “Hey man, you made the first move with that speech.” Cas smiled, tipping his head and squeezing Dean’s shoulder. Then his smile faded and brows furrowed.  
“What?” said Dean with a smirk, following Cas’ eye line to the shoulder of Dean’s he was still holding.  
“Dean, I think you might be onto something.” Cas lifted his hand and stared at the bloody handprint below.  
Dean beamed with pride and faux bashfulness. “And, uh, what’s that?” he said, eyebrows up.  
“About Chuck,” said Cas, rolling his eyes. Dean mouthed ‘oh’. “I think he’s been way more involved than even I can comprehend. The things he said about being the only version of me to disobey. How he’s always one step ahead of us, even when we’re certain we hold the advantage.”  
“But, it doesn’t feel like that right now, right? I feel like me. It’s been years now that I think of it.”  
“Every time I would return to you from Naomi it felt the same as you described earlier. It wasn’t until we figured out she was tinkering that it finally made sense.”  
Suddenly Cas became incredibly aware of their surroundings. His excited worry rose and he paced in front of Dean.  
“What Cas? What is it?”  
Cas stopped pacing and walked up to Dean who thought he was about to kiss him again. But he regrettably didn’t. Dean tried to recover from the misread signal, ready to listen.  
“We need to let this run its course.” Dean turned around to the Empty which Cas had just eyed. Dean looked confused. “Think about it. Why does Chuck want me and Billy out of the way? So that it’s just the four of you. He’ll probably rapture the rest of the planet next. Yes, we must let things play out.”  
“But if Chuck wants you gone.... that means I can’t go looking for you. I can’t save you,” said Dean. Cas saw a certainty in Dean that he hadn’t seen in a while, if ever. Dean looked at Cas expectantly.  
“Exactly.” Dean took a hard breath, his chest and face sinking mournfully when he gently kissed Cas with the expectation that he may never be able to do so again. Cas pulled away, fresh tears rolling down his face. Cas raised his hand to his lips while his eyes stayed on Dean.  
Dean resumed his position on the floor and, as soon as he landed, time snapped back in place like a rubber band. In one swift movement Billy, Cas and the Empty were gone. Dean was alone in the armoury, his sobs echoing off the centuries-old walls. He needed to sell it. It was the only way to end this hamster wheel ride once and for all. This better work.

*

Dean and Sam looked out to the grand river leading into the dense forest with their arms around each other's shoulders. Inside Dean was trembling because for the first time since he and Cas last talked, he felt like himself again. As if on cue a small and familiar voice popped up behind them.  
“Hi Sam. Hi Dean,” said Jack. The brothers turned around to see Jack just as they last saw him on Earth, his flat hand raised, palm out.  
“Jack,” said Dean, walking over to him and giving him a hug. Jack hugged him back.  
“So, Jack, you did all this,” said Sam, motioning to the world around them.  
“I can’t take all the credit.” Dean fluttered inside at the thought of Cas. Bobby did say he helped Jack rebuild heaven but was it his Cas, or another version that Chuck wrote in just to torment Dean.  
“You don’t have to worry Dean. This isn’t Chuck’s heaven. It’s another world. It’s the only way I could get you out of Chuck’s story. He still wrote everything. Everything that happened to him. That vamp fight. The rebar.” said Jack  
“So, so, we’re not dead?” asked Dean, bewildered.  
“Oh, no you’re still dead. Just not in his heaven. He didn’t just write out the rest of your lives. He also wrote out your eternities.” Jack’s smile contradicted his words as per usual. Dean wouldn’t change him for the world, smiling in return. “Oh, and I made sure to bring along everyone who mattered too.”  
All the people Dean wanted to see populated in his mind and a shit-eating grin spread across his face. “But won’t he notice you’ve plucked the chickens from the coupe?”  
“No, he’s still human. Even when he gets to that heaven the walls are still up. He might never find out.”  
“I like the sound of that,” said Sam, slapping Jack’s arm.  
“Where’s Cas?” said Dean, finally certain enough that he could mention him without getting sucked back into something.  
Jack smiled. Dean looked over to the impala.  
Cas stood next to it, his hands in either pocket of his trenchcoat. He smiled gently as Dean’s head whipped around. They jogged to each other, framed on one side by Jack and Sam and the Impala on the other.  
“Hello, Dean,” said Cas as they stood in front of one another. Dean kissed him, attempting to make up for all their missed opportunities. Cas pulled away as Sam and Jack walked over. Dean acquiesced and nodded to his brother and pseudo-son.  
Looking back at Cas he smiled. “We did it, Cas,” he said, “We’re actually free.”


End file.
